User blog:Porterfield/Summer Albums Guide 2012
The Music Wiki's most anticipated new albums for summer 2012 conveniently come in pairs! How precious. A lot of these songs (I'm looking at you, rap music) includes lyrics that are not suitable for the workplace or children. You have been warned. Hot Chip - In Our Heads - June 12th Hot-Chip-In_our_heads.jpeg|'Album:' In Our Heads File:Hot Chip - Night & Day|'First Single:' Night & Day The English group doesn't exactly qualify as mainstream pop music, but they are contemporary masters of the electropop and synthpop genres. Everyone waiting for their 5th studio album is essentially waiting to hit up the dance floor. The first single, "Night & Day", with it's strange cameo-infused Futuro-Brit music video, certainly gets my feet tappin'. Nelly Furtado - Spirit Indestructible - June 19th Spirit_indescructible.png|'Album:' Spirit Indestructible File:Nelly Furtado - Big Hoops (Bigger The Better)|'First Single:' Big Hoops If you loved Furtado's Timbaland-produced 2006 album, Loose, then her newest joints should be right up your alley, at least compare to her last album, which was latin-based and in Spanish. As you can hear in the first single, "Big Hoops", the sound is a bit more experimental, but playful and fresh as hell. I think it's safe to say that this category has the best music videos! Azealia Banks - 1991 - June 12th Azealia.jpeg|'EP:' 1991 File:AZEALIA BANKS - 212 FT. LAZY JAY|'First Single:' 212 The 21-year-old hip-hop newcomer from Harlem has yet to release a full album, but her 4-track debut EP should satisfy the fans who enjoyed her Coachella performance and the first single, "212". It's a good thing she returned to her birth name from her old moniker "Miss Bank$", or I might not have taken her seriously enough to give her a listen! I did though, and she is dope! 2 Chainz - Based on a T.R.U. Story - August 14th 2-chainz.jpeg|'Album:' Based on a T.R.U. Story (album art not available) File:2 Chainz - No Lie ft. Drake|'First Single:' No Lie ft. Drake Our other hip-hop newcomer has also chosen to abandon his former ridiculous stage name, in this case Tity Boi, and for that we are grateful. 2 Chainz himself should be grateful for two of his colleagues: Drake, for appearing on the first single, and Kanye West, for helping produce the album. Without them, buzz about the Atlanta native would have never made it outside of Atlanta. G.O.O.D. Music (Kanye West) - Cruel Summer - TBA GOOD-Music-Cruel-Summer-by-PhillyCustoms.jpeg|'Album:' Cruel Summer (album art not available) File:Mercy (Explicit)|'First Single:' Mercy ft. Big SEan, Pusha T & 2 Chainz File:Kanye West - Cold ft. DJ Khaled (Explicit) NEW * TheraFlu *|'Second Single:' Cold ft. DJ Khaled Kanye's "Cruel Summer" short film, which stars Kid Cudi, just debuted at Cannes in his customized 7-screen movie theater. Expect the correlating album to feature many artists in Kanye's G.O.O.D./Def Jam orbit, including Cudi, Pusha T, Big Sean, John Legend, Mr. Hudson, the aforementioned 2 Chainz, new signings Q-Tip and Yasiin Bey (formerly Mos Def), and hopefully Jay-Z and Common. Any Kanye fan should enjoy the first two singles, but the rest of this enigmatic label-based album could have surprises in store for every hip-hop head. Rick Ross - God Forgives, I Don't - July 31st God-forgives-i-dont-cover.jpeg|'Album:' God Forgives, I Don't File:Rick Ross - You The Boss feat. Nicki Minaj|'First Single:' You the Boss Expectations for the big man's new album are extremely high after his recent release, Forever Rich, which many tout as the best mixtape of 2012 thus far. The first single off the album, "You the Boss" is getting a lot of radio plays thanks to an appearance by Nicki Minaj, but the rest of the album is anticipated because it should finally end the debate on whether Rick Ross deserves his place in rap's elite. It's essentially a make or break release. Usher - Looking 4 Myself - June 12th Looking4Myself_Usher.png|'Album:' Looking 4 Myself File:Usher - Climax Official Music Video|'First Single:' Climax File:Usher - Lemme See (Audio)|'Second Single:' Lemme See Of course the first single from the sexually-charged Usher is called Climax, but what's new? This album has got some notable producers from opposite ends of the spectrum in Diplo and Swedish House Mafia and a the other single, Lemme See, features The Boss Rick Ross. Expect the usual club bangers and baby-making music from the newly bearded southern gentleman. Justin Bieber - Believe - June 19th File:Believe-JB-Album.jpeg|'Album:' Believe File:Justin Bieber - Boyfriend|'First Single:' Boyfriend It's crazy, but I've witnessed previously self-proclaimed Bieber-haters enjoying the first single, Boyfriend, from the young crooner's upcoming album. With collaborations that include Drake, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and tracks produced by the likes of Timbaland, The Neptunes, Mike Posner, and will.i.am, it's no surprise that people are starting to take this kid seriously. Bieber is all grown up folks! Smashing Pumpkins - Oceania - June 19th The_Smashing_Pumpkins_-_Oceania_cover.jpeg|'Album:' Oceania File:Smashing Pumpkins - Oceania|'Live Performance:' Oceania This will be alt-rock legends' 9th studio album, which guitarist Jeff Schroeder has called less heavy, but spacier and dreamier than albums past. They've been performing several of the songs live since last year, so die-hard Pumpkins fans are just itching to get ahold of Oceania in full, which is actually just one part of the band's 44-song concept album "Teargarden by Kaleidyscope". Linkin Park - Living Things - June 26th Lp_livingthings1.jpeg|'Album:' Living Things File:Linkin Park - BURN IT DOWN (Official Music Video)|'First Single:' Burn it Down L.A.'s premiere rock/rap group is known to resist becoming redundant in the studio, so the new album has taken a step away from their last one, like each album before it. Fortunately, it's stepping in the right direction. Legendary producer Rick Rubin has co-produced thee first single, Burn it Down, along with frontman Mike Shinoda, and it gives us a tantalizing taste of what's to come. Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel is Wiser Than... - June 26th Fiona-Apple-The-Idler-Wheel.jpeg|'Album:' The Idler Wheel is Wiser Than... File:Fiona Apple - Every Single Night|'First Single:' Every Single Night Everybody I know is nostalgic for the 1990's these days, so new Fiona and Alanis albums just make sense. Upon hearing her first single,youthful hipsters might accuse Fiona of stealing the styles of Adele and/or Florence and the Machine. Of course, this would stupidly wrong, as Fiona has been powerfully belting heavy lyrics on the scene for nearly 25 years. Alanis Morissette - Havoc and Bright Lights - August 28th Screen_Shot_2012-06-05_at_1.49.23_PM.png|'Album:' Havoc and Bright Lights (album art not available) File:Alanis Morissette - "Guardian" Lyric Video|'First Single:' Guardian Alanis hasn't had an album, or any songs for that matter, that have swept the nation quite like 1995's Jagged Little Pill, but her recently released single is already generating some buzz for the Canadian's upcoming 8th studio album. Thank goodness she split with Ryan Reynolds. His acting skills are no match for such quality songwriting. Paul Simon - Graceland 25th Anniversary Edition - June 5th Paul-simon-graceland-25th-anniversary-edition1.jpeg|'Album:' Graceland 25th Anniversary Box Set A 2-CD, 2-DVD box set delivers a remastering of Simon's classic 1986 album Graceland, which was inspired by South African township music. The DVDs feature a documentary about Simon’s trip to South Africa, a 1987 concert shot in Zimbabwe as apartheid was beginning to fall apart, a couple of music videos, and an SNL performance. Neil Young and Crazy Horse - Americana - June 5th Main.jpeg|'Album:' Americana The first Neil Young & Crazy Horse album in 9 years is a collection of American folk songs, protest songs, murder ballads, and campire music that would have been considered controversial it was released back in the day. Now, it's just classic Americana. A Bluray featuring 12 music videos and documentary footage of the album's choir will also be made available. Which album are you most look forward to hearing? Hot Chip - In Our Heads Nelly Furtado - Spirit Indestructible Azealia Banks - 1991 2 Chains - Based on a T.R.U. Story G.O.O.D. Music - Cruel Summer Rick Ross - God Forgives, I Don't Usher - Looking 4 Myself Justin Bieber - Believe Smashing Pumpkins - Oceania Linkin Park - Living Things Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel is Wiser Than... Alanis Morissette - Havoc and Bright Lights Paul Simon - Graceland 25th Anniversary Edition Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Americana __NOEDITSECTION__ Category:Blog posts Category:Blog posts